Prior art physiological data collection for a single patient collected from multiple sensors connected to multiple devices, or patient monitors, has been centralized in a single, wired device. For example, prior art patient data acquisition devices, such as from electrocardiographs, pulse oximeters, and electroencephalographs, have been wired to a monitor at the patient's bedside, or have otherwise been connected to and controlled by a common processor. Thus, in prior art system, the data collection for a patient it is sampled and processed using a single processor synchronized to a single digital clock. Since data sampling has been centrally controlled, data synchronization has not been a problem in such prior art data acquisition systems.
However, as wireless technology becomes more reliable, patient monitors are transitioning to leveraging wireless technology and abandoning such centralized processing and control. Wireless patient monitors eliminate the cumbersome wires between the patient and the monitor, allowing easier access to the patient, easier patient transport, and more freedom for the patient to move around without disturbing the monitoring and/or inadvertently triggering a false alarm. As patient mobility is an integral part of many patient care regimens in all varieties of healthcare environments, wireless monitoring can be very beneficial for patient care. As part of the recovery process, patients are encouraged to periodically stand up and make short trips to the window, the bathroom, etc. Lack of patient mobility can result in physiologic complications such as deep vein thrombosis, infection and an overall prolonged recovery process. Continuous monitoring is preferably provided during these patient mobility events, and wireless patient monitoring can enable that. However, as patient monitoring devices begin leveraging wireless infrastructure, such as Wi-Fi networks, it is important to make sure that the quality of patient monitoring is not degraded and that the monitoring precision is maintained or increased.